All done !

Oxford to Cambridge was a classic .. a story of survival ! We got lost, had a puncture, cycled in the pitch black with no lights ... all good fun !

I do need to point out that the Organizers did stop us 5 miles from Cambridge, for safety reasons because we were cycling in the dark with no lights.

We also found out today that the FTCF have started work on the new school with our funds. So a big thankyou to all those who have supported this cause.

 

We're close to reaching our new target of £5000 so If you still haven’t sponsored us then please donate generously and remember donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Friends Of The Citizens Foundation will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you

Our Challenge
With very little experience we’re attempting a 200-mile bike ride this summer, split over three events:  

 Event                                    Distance (miles)                   Date of Ride

 1              London to Brighton                            58                    Sunday 17 June 2007 
 2              London to Southend                         58                    Sunday 15 July 2007 
 3              Oxford to Cambridge                         85                   Sunday 30 September 2007 

That’s 200 miles of excruciating hills, dodging cars intent on killing defenceless cyclists, potholes, risking injury and road rage…we could go on…but you get the picture.

This will be a huge challenge for us....  Khawer couldn’t even cycle a year ago and Tahir only takes his cycle out once a year to inspect the rust!



Why we need you to sponsor us
"'Education is a matter of life and death for Pakistan" Jinah.

"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education"
John F. Kennedy.     

• Out of 162 million Pakistanis, 83 million adults of age 15 years and above (51%) are illiterate. 
• 38% of all male adults of age 15 years and above are illiterate whereas for females the percentage is as high as 65%.  
• Male primary, secondary & tertiary enrolment is only 43%. 
• Female primary, secondary & tertiary enrolment is only 31%. 
• The state of government schools is very poor; 15% of them are without a proper building, 52% without a boundary wall, 40% without water, 71% without electricity and there is frequent absenteeism of teachers. 
• Government Expenditure on Education is only 1.8% of GDP. 
  Sources:  2005 World Population Data Sheet; Population Reference Bureau;
  Economic Survey of Pakistan 2004 - 05; Human Development Report 2005; United Nations Development Programme; The State Bank of 's 2nd Quarterly Report for 2003 - 04. 

Our chosen charity, The Friends of the Citizens Foundation, are involved in building and running schools in the most impoverished parts of Pakistan for underprivileged children.

To date this charity has built 311 primary and secondary schools across Pakistan and are providing nearly 40,000 children with an education. Their aim is to continue on to 1,000 schools and educating over 360,000 children.

For further information about FTCF please visit http://www.ftcf.org.uk


Any amount you contribute will make a difference.    Please make a donation here today.  If you are a taxpayer, please be sure to click the relevant Gift Aid box and your donation will automatically be increased by 28%.

We thank you all for your generosity in advance.

Kindest regards

The Team:

Tahir Alvi:  tahir_alvi@yahoo.com
Khawer Ghouse: theconceptroom@hotmail.com